


chemistry

by gaygatsby



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: (sorta) - Freeform, Hopefully not too OOC, M/M, betty’s a bit annoying but she carries the plot, it all starts in chemistry class
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 11:22:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,009
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17263343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaygatsby/pseuds/gaygatsby
Summary: archie andrew’s schedule is altered after he joins wrestling, and he finds himself in fourth period chemistry with jughead.





	chemistry

Somehow, Jughead managed a passing grade in his high school chemistry course.  _ How _ he did so was mind boggling in itself. Right now, he was jotting down things he liked about Archie’s eyes, while the teacher mindlessly clicked through slides and speaking in the most  _ boring _ , monotone voice no teenager could bear. Jughead Jones was  _ no _ exception. 

With his right hand, he loosley wrote  _ kind _ and  _ gentle _ in his journal in his hideous handwriting, while his other hand held his head. His eyes became heavy at the thought of sleep, and he almost drifted off until he heard Archie’s voice as he plopped down in the empty seat in front of Jughead. 

“Hey, Jug,” Archie smiled brightly. Jughead slammed his journal shut, silently thanking their teacher for the dimly lit classroom.

Archie looked a bit startled.

“Free period?”

“Nah, wrestling altered my  _ entire  _ schedule,” Archie said, loosely pointing his fingers to the back of the class where he had a  _ very _ public conversation with the teacher about his placement. “Thought you heard…”

Jughead gestured to his leatherbound journal. A tiny, little  _ “O” _ formed on Archie’s lips, which made Jughead squirm in his seat. 

Archie further explained, “I was filled with dread, but then I remembered you also have this class. A blessing in disguise, I guess.”

“ _ Yeah _ ,” Jug whispered wistfully, “something like that.”

Instead of journaling about Archie, Jughead resorted to playing with his fingers, admiring the coat of Betty’s dark blue nail polish he borrowed, and occasionally sneaking glances at Archie’s face as he started intently at the slides crookedly projected on whiteboard. 

He noticed a bit of freckles splayed on his cheek and along the bridge of his nose, some distinctly reminding him of a constellation he had once admired with Jellybean.

Archie feels the weight of Jughead’s stare because their eyes meet every so briefly, before Jughead looks down at his hands, a flush of red pigment crept onto his cheeks. He couldn’t help himself: Archie is  _ so _ pretty.

Jug remembered art galleries: all of their walls were  _ white _ so it wouldn’t distract from the art. Compared to Archie who is a beautiful work,  _ every _ damn person, place, and thing are the walls of an art gallery. In other words, he exclusively gave a damn about Archie.

This might be the source of Jughead’s failing grade in chemistry. 

“I’ll tutor you,” Archie almost, emphasis on the almost, squeals.

_ He has been spending way too much time with Veronica and Betty _ , Jughead thinks to himself, but deep, deep down he really doesn’t mind all too much. Bright eyes, toothy grin, and a tug of his hand—who is Jug complain?

* * *

 

 

Betty Cooper, for one, is  _ far _ from oblivious. 

She notices an immediate shift in Archie and Jug’s normal behavior. Instead of them meeting her, Kevin, and Veronica at lunch, she spots them sitting across from each other hunched over, in the library, listening to music, undeniably a demo of Archie’s.

Archie’s tapping his finger along the metal of the table, while Jughead nods his head slightly to the beat.

She didn’t think much of it.

Until one day, while Betty was searching for a book in the library, she noticed that their friendship escalated into Archie “tutoring” Jug. And instead of it being  _ useful,  _ it wound up being stolen glances and ever so lightest touches to the knee or top of either of their hand. 

She decided to get to the bottom of whatever that was.

So, the next day, during passing period, Betty pulled an unsuspecting Archie into an empty classroom.

Before Archie could say anything, Betty speaks up.

“What’s going on between you and Jug?” she demands firmly, her arms crossed and eyes suspicious.

“Huh?”

Betty raises her eyebrow.

“Wha— _ Nothing’s _ ‘going on’ between us,” Archie sputters, not meeting Betty’s eyes. “He needs a bit of help in Chemistry, I, uh, noticed when I transferred into his class.”

“Have you considered that you’re the reason he needs help in Chemistry?”

“Huh?”

“It’s so obvious,” Betty said. “Jug’s so caught up in you whenever you’re around that I can barely get his attention. Even when you’re not around, it’s always Archie o’clock. You’re not much better.”

Archie’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion, unsure of whether or not he should believe Betty. 

“Just talk to him.”

* * *

 

 

 

Jughead was over at Archie’s house, watching a movie on his crummy laptop. Both were seated on Archie’s bed, backs against the wall and connected at the hip, watching some movie Jug wasn’t too fond of. 

Neither of them was paying attention to the movie. Archie couldn’t take his mind off of what Betty said, staring mindlessly at the screen, and Jughead was too busy watching the beautifully constructed film that was Archie Andrews next to him. He would know too; after all, he  _ is _ a film aficionado.

Archie, on the other hand, had  _ enough _ . He shut the laptop that rested on his lap.

Jug, for the second time this week, was startled, but instead of Archie’s melodious voice, it was by the hands of a slammed laptop. 

“We need to talk,” Archie said.

“What about,  _ Archiekins _ ?” Jughead cracked, knowing that Archie hated the nickname Veronica gave to him, and sure enough, Archie visibly cringed, but continued.

“Jug, Betty told me something very interesting,” Archie confessed, filling Jughead with dread. “And I don’t exactly disagree with her.”

Jughead swallowed the lump in his throat.

_ What did Betty do?  _

“I, uh, noticed the way you look at me,” Archie continued, “I thought I was imagining it, but I guess I wasn’t crazy…wait, I’m not the only one who has feelings, right?” Archie intertwined their fingers hopefully.

“You’re not the only one,” Jughead confirmed, noticing Archie’s eyes looked briefly down at Jughead’s chapped lips and leaned in ever so slightly.

“Can I uh,” Archie spoke softly, letting go of their intertwined fingers to hold each side of Jughead’s face. He nodded softly, tilting his head, and Archie connected their lips ever so briefly.

He pulled away. “Is this okay?”

Jughead nodded, smiling softly.  
  



End file.
